Villains & Angels
by EighthDeadlySin
Summary: A whole new Connor finds himself falling for a supernaturally talented young woman, while the team struggles with a whole new set of obstacles and enemies. Set at the beginning of season 4.
1. City of Angels

**Disclaimer: I do not own Angel, nor do ****I**** posses any rights to it whatsoever. ****This story is purely for non-profit, entertainment related purposes. (Ha!! Try to sue me with a nifty disclaimer like _that_)**

**Author's note:** Bear with me a moment so I can catch you up to speed. Alright, so, in my opinion, (forgive me, superfans) Angel kind of went south after Cordi got her evil on and Connor tried to kill his only remaining parent. So in this story, Cordelia is a little absent because she ascended to the Powers that be (and stayed there), and Connor got over his daddy issues, actually formed a bond with Angel, and is currently living in the hotel as a full-on member of the monster fighting squad. With me so far? I also have Faith in the mix because she decided to stay in L.A. to help out the gang. Here we go, enjoy the ride!

Chapter One:

City of Angels

The streets of Los Angeles were bustling and crowded, typical for this time of day, especially for this _kind_ of day. The sky was clear and blue, the temperature a comfortable seventy five degrees. People flooded into every shop, purchasing gifts for upcoming birthdays and trying on trendy new clothes.

A young man crossed the intersection of seventy sixth and Blain, his pace leisure and his posture relaxed. His sleek hair, a soft shade of maple brown, blew sideways in the gentle breeze. Pedestrians rushed past him and impatient drivers honked their horns. He paid them no attention, so deep in thought that his mint green eyes were empty and unfocused. If only they all knew what he was thinking, what he was.

_He_ didn't even know the answer to that question. He was so much more human than those he fought, yet so much _more_ than human. His very existence went against nature.

A small, silver cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He moved towards an unoccupied bit of sidewalk to answer the call. "Yeah, hello?" he greeted the person on the other end.

"Hey, Connor, where are you?" rang a soft female voice with a slight southern accent.

"Jaxx Boulevard. Why?"

"Oh, nothing- Gunn and Wes were going to head out to Cayman's Bluff to check out that murder scene from last night, and I thought you'd like to tag along. Wes even managed to score and official-looking detective's badge. Interested?" Her voice was very sweet, and unconvincing.

"Look Fred, Wesley and Gunn are going to have to work out their issues some time, they don't need a mediator, let 'em duke it out."

"That's not funny, Connor. Wes was all broody when he came down stairs, and this hotel only has room for one Moody Man."

Connor chuckled under his breath, picturing his un-dead father scowling at his desk, dark hair sticking straight up. He could hear Fred letting out a sigh of defeat, drumming her thin fingers on whatever hard surface she was in front of. "Maybe I can get Faith to play third wheel. Oh, there she is- alright, bye."

"Oh, Fred?"

"Huh?" she asked, slightly distracted- no doubt trying to think of a way to ask their newest team member to babysit a couple of feuding guys. He guessed she would say something to the amount of "Screw that" before walking out of the room. According to her, daylight hours were a Slayer's off-time.

"My money's on Gunn."

"Bye, Connor." Click.

He smiled as placed the phone back in his pocket, and began walking back in the direction he came. He felt a little guilty for declining her request, only because he liked Fred so much, but had absolutely no interest in listening to Wesley and Gunn bicker and squabble.

The two of them had been at each other's throats for days, picking arguments over the most insignificant things imaginable. It all started a week back, when Wes hung up on a few of Gunn's old pals who had called asking for the gang's help on a vampire situation downtown. Young girls had been disappearing nearly every night, and the culprits managed to get away every time. Was defended his actions by saying that Gunn's over-zealous old crowd was only going to get them into trouble, seeing as how the police was on their tails (accusing them of gang activity and suspecting them of the crimes they were trying to stop).

Gun had been furious, knowing that his old friends were out of their league in this case, and that it would probably end badly. Wesley pointed out that the information he got from them was being put to use, and that "just because we're not working it with them, doesn't mean we're not helping." To which Gunn threw an empty peanut butter jar at him. As a result, Connor found himself going for quite a few walks.

As he rounded the corner, something, someone, crashed into him. The next thing he heard was the sound of books and papers flying everywhere, and a startled "oh!" as he stumbled forward, trying to catch his balance.

A young woman was desperately trying to cling to an armful of, well- everything. Until five steps ago, it seemed that she was loaded up with books, folders, brochures, and a shopping bag full of what looked like, not-surprisingly, more books. She bent to scoop them up, attempting to stack them up into a neat pile.

He got down on his knee and helped her collect the scattered items. "I'm sorry about that; I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going."

She looked up when he spoke, and his breath caught. She was beautiful. Not in the Cover-of-Playboy way, but warm and alluring- like the best bits of life; laughter, holidays, friendships, everything that he had missed out on funneled into one human being.

She smiled slightly, the gesture lighting up her exquisite face. Her dark brown eyes drew him in, twinkling with life. "Oh, it's fine. Two more steps and they would have come tumbling down anyway." Her tone was so light and tranquil; it was like a lullaby sung softly in his ear.

He looked down at the book in his hand, three inches thick and entitled "The Theory of Superhuman Abilities". Her other books consisted of titles such as "Inside the Mind", "Paranoid Schizophrenia", "The Supernatural: Fiction or Reality?"…

"Light reading?" he asked the girl, handing her the remaining books. She rose gracefully, slinging her bag onto her shoulder and trying to situate her enormous load.

"There was a sale down at the bookstore on 12th" she shrugged her small shoulders, looking up into his eyes. Her caramel toned light brown hair tumbled in waves past her shoulders, reflecting the glowing afternoon's sunlight and casting her in brilliant warmth. She spoke again, glancing pointedly at his shirt- which was somehow wet. "I'm so sorry, I didn't even realize. Good thing it was iced, I was considering their new Pumpkin Spiced Latte."

He looked down at his light blue cotton T-shirt, which was now covered in cold, ice-blended coffee. His mind was so absorbed in the girl in front of him, that he hadn't even noticed her empty Starbucks cup. He felt exceptionally unobservant…and a little chilly 'round the torso area.

"No, really, it's okay. I never liked this shirt anyway. Besides, you were the victim here, I bumped into you, and I got my just reward."

She smiled again, exposing a set of perfect white teeth, "Soaking it in cold water will work wonders, trust me- after three ruined sweaters, I have much experience in the area of caffeinated beverages. I'm Lana, by the way."

"Connor" he smiled as he answered, and shook himself out of the daze she was putting him in. He felt like he just got hit by a Hummer.

Lana glanced at a thin white leather watch on her left wrist, "I should get going. It was really nice meeting you, Connor. Maybe we'll run into each other again."

P.S- that Pumpkin Spiced Latte was actually just added to Caribou Coffee's menu, so- I lied. But, in my defense, Starbucks is so much more Californian.


	2. To Grandmother's House

Chapter 2:

To Grandmother's House

Night had fallen, and the members of Angel Investigations were suiting up for another evening of battle. Faith was busying herself with the tough choices of dagger selection, while Fred was attempting to predict the location of the next suspected vampire attack. The body count, or lack of, was now up to twelve- all girls, all under the age of twenty one. Angel and Wesley were deep in conversation, once again discussing ambush tactics. The last one they tried resulted in the team themselves being ambushed.

Connor paced by the main entrance, ax in hand. "Are you all ready yet? Or should we wait until the sun comes up to catch them in action?" he complained, voice dripping with teen-sarcasm. Connor could always be counted on to be the first in line for a good fight.

Gunn and Lorne walked in, arms full with boxes. Everyone watched as they staggered over to the front desk and set them down. "Oh, no- really, we got it. Just stay where you are" Gunn said over his shoulder. Fred swept over, curiosity and excitement shining on her face. "Oh, I ordered the Makhrett set weeks ago! I was wondering when they all were gonna show up on the doorstep."

Lorne turned to face her, one hand on his now-aching lower back. "Someone should tell the postman to deliver to our _front_ doorstep. By the way, Sweet Cakes, do you realize how much these books _weigh_?" he gasped. Fred smiled, unpacking the largest box and pulling out what looked like a ten pound leather-encased photo album.

The door clicked shut and everyone turned as they realized that Connor had just given them the slip. Angel let out a heavy breath, throwing his hands up in the air. "We're going to get that kid a tracking collar" he announced, grabbing a sword from the weapon's cabinet.

Connor was already blocks away, his body tensed for the hunt as he patrolled the city streets. The night sung with the promise of a good old-fashioned good vs. evil brawl, and he was itching to find it. Little did he know that, six alleys away, the battle was about to begin.

A young woman strolled down a dark alley, trying to find the way back to her car. She dug through her purse, only stopping when she heard a chorus of low whistles. She looked up, startled to find that a large group of men had appeared out of nowhere. They began to loosely surround her, eyes shifting from her alarmed face to her tiny frame.

"What's a lovely young thing like you doing out here, all alone, so late at night?" one of them asked, inching forward. His voice was deep and gruff, like a hard-working man who had been smoking for years. It wasn't until he stepped out of shadow that she realized there was something wrong with his face. His eyebrows seemed to be pulled together in such a severe way that his forehead muscles were rigid and protruding, distorted above his yellow cat-like eyes.

"Running into a bunch of guys who like to hang out in dark alleys, apparently" she answered bravely, still shocked at what she saw. A tall, pale-haired man walked to the side of her, circling as if he were in a museum. He leaned down, whispering in her ear. "You're a sassy little thing" he mused.

The girl turned to face him directly, her mind debating on the "fight or flight" instinct. She was astoundingly outnumbered, only one to nine, but knew that if push came to shove, she would be safe- and they wouldn't. She knew how do defend herself. It was the control part of her defense that she worried about. Her moods seemed to dictate how useful her gift was. She had been in tough situations before, but the odds against her had never been to this magnitude.

The men seemed to be closing in, forming a circle around her. Twisted smiles hung on each of their deformed faces, anticipation shining in their psychotic eyes, all of which were the same shade of yellow.

"Little Red Riding Hood should have taken a different route" one of them said from behind her.

"I guess that makes you all the big, bad wolves" she piped up, pooling her courage.

Another man came up from behind her, pressing into her back, "You know, I always admired a cheeky, courageous woman. Won't save your pretty little neck, though. He chuckled as she backed away, almost running into another guy.

"Well, my grandmother always said my mouth would get me into trouble." She said in a low voice. "Wasn't your mouth we were lookin' at" one of them remarked, smirking.

The girl took a deep breath, assessing her situation. It was now or never. She hadn't used her powers in years, but found that her life wasn't worth further abstention. She closed her eyes, concentrating.

Up above, Connor sat perched on the roof of the building, waiting for the right moment to "drop in". He had been watching the girl he had bumped into earlier, Lana, as she called herself. She was in quite the predicament, apparently unaware just how severe her situation was. Even he would have trouble taking out nine at once. He knew she had no chance. As he was about to jump, he realized that Lana was in far more control than he thought. She simply turned to face the five behind her, and they flew into the brick wall to her right without her lifting a finger.

One of them attacked, flinging themselves at her. She ducked just in time, flinging him into another man and knocking them both over. She mentally lifted up several boxes, aiming them at the man in front of her. He threw himself to the side, the wooden crate shattering beside him. One of its pieces had lodged itself into his chest and he turned to dust before her eyes.

Learning quickly, she hovered the thick splinters into the air, willing them to attack the men. Three more of them turned to fine ash. She didn't have the time to be shocked, only to think of her next move. She ducked several times, avoiding blows and tackles. She aimed a spare bit of wood at the largest remaining man, destroying him and the one who was directly behind him.

One of them aimed a viscous blow to the side of her face, causing her to fly back into the brick wall with incredible force. There was a sharp pain at the back of her skull and she felt her entire body go numb as her vision darkened and her eyes closed against her will. The last sounds she heard were growling and more fighting. Had they turned against each other?

Her mind slowed and her body shut down as she felt a pair of warm, strong arms lifting her up and carrying her away.

**All right, just FYI people, I've encountered a lot of technical problems while uploading this chapter, as it keeps reverting back to my unedited and incomprehensible version.If this chapter is posted with several glitches at the end, be patient, and I will fix it ASAP. So, anywho- thank you for reading my chapter and I hope you look forward to volume 3!**


	3. How Deep The Rabbit Hole Goes

Chapter 3:

Sanctuary

Connor strode in the hotel, carrying a limp young girl in his arms. Everyone watched as he laid her on the couch, her head lolling on her shoulder, a dark bruise visible above her left brow. "What the hell happened to her?" Faith asked bluntly, hands on hips.

"Nine Vamps" Connor responded, nonchalant. Angel walked over to his son, placing a fatherly hand on his shoulder. "And you made it out fine? That's my boy; I always knew you had it in you. Nine vampires" he repeated, letting out a low whistle and looking utterly proud. Connor turned to face him, his gaze flickering to the unconscious Lana. "Wasn't really me. She dusted six of them, but unlucky number seven tossed her into the side of a building. She didn't seem to know what they were, though. I picked up where she left off, but one of them managed to get away."

The gang stood there, open-mouthed, all their eyes locked on the fragile-looking girl. Gunn was the first to speak. "So is she a slayer, or something?" he asked, arms folded across his chest, now glancing at Faith.

This brought a spark of life to Angel's face as he rushed to the phone and began dialing a number with lightning speed. "Hi" he answered into the phone. "Is Buffy alright?" Someone responded, prompting angel to reply. "No, it's Angel. I was just checking."

"Dad, no. She's-" Connor stepped in, trying to explain what he saw. He was cut off by Angel's impatience as he responded to something said over the phone, "No, no. Just forget I called. She doesn't need to know, false alarm. Yeah, thanks Xander." He hung up, turning to face Connor. "She can't be a slayer, Buffy's fine. So the question is, how did she dust a half dozen vamps on her own?"

Connor rubbed his eyes, showing his irritation as his hands slapped back down to his sides. "If you'd listen, I could tell you. She didn't seem to have super strength or anything, human as far as I can tell. But she could lift objects without touching them, like telekinesis or something. It was actually pretty cool" he added in awe.

Wesley strode over to the girl, lifting a purse away from her arms. "Maybe something in here will give us a few clues." He opened it, turning it over and spilling out its contents. Among them were a cell phone, key set, and wallet. In the wallet was a UCLA Student I.D card and driver's license.

"Lana Lee Holloway, 18, University Sophomore, 5'3'' tall" Wesley read aloud before neatly replacing the girls things. "There's nothing here to point her out as a Witch."

"What, do most of them carry Hogwarts I.Ds instead?" Gunn asked sarcastically. Wesley turned to face him, irritancy showing on his face. "No, but a lot of practitioners at least carry amulets or something to help them with spells which increase their majicks. Acute Telekinesis is pretty advanced."

"I like a chick who can handle herself. Kinda makes me wanna go knock the Vamp population down a few, too" Faith added before heading out the door.

Angel nodded in agreement, picking back up the sword he selected earlier. "Can we all please just _try_ to stick together for a patrol?" he asked irritably, the rest of the gang following suit and heading out. Angel stopped in the doorframe, turning pointedly to his son. Catching the drift, Connor shrugged, "Already clocked in my hours. I think I'll just stay and, um…watch her." His face turned a slight shade of pink as he sat down in the armchair opposite Lana.

Lorne waved the team goodbye, the usual cheer surrounding him. "I'll just stay here, me being not much for violence. Oh, you all have fun though. Knock 'em dead…er" he added enthusiastically.

No more than ten minutes after the team's departure, Lana was stirring on the couch. Her dark lashes fluttered open as she assessed her new surroundings. A small hand rose automatically to her throbbing temple, a grimace set upon her face. She turned to the side, recognizing the young man sat beside her. "You" she whispered woozily.

"Yeah. Me." Connor responded awkwardly as she pushed herself into a sitting position, a look of severe confusion written all over her face. She glanced around, everything unfamiliar to her. "I'm dreaming right?" she asked, voice weak.

"Not so much. Do you remember everything that happened, in the alley?"

She stood up, head in her hand, trying to put together the images that floated across her mind. "Yeah, I think so. It's all a little fuzzy. There was so many of them…and they were, different. Something was wrong with their faces." She suddenly froze, a look of terror spreading across her face.

"What is it?" Connor asked, voice full of concern as he got to his feet. She looked up at him as he took a step forward, "I, I didn't mean to. They were all around me, and it was so dark, and, and…oh my god" she exclaimed, heart racing. "I killed them. I have to turn myself in."

She turned towards the door as Connor rushed in front of her, arms out wide blocking her way. "Whoa, just hang on a second. You're going to get yourself arrested over a bunch of vampires who were going to bleed you dry? What bodies are you going to show them anyway? The entire lot of them wouldn't fill up a peanut tin."

Lana pulled her eyebrows together in confusion, wondering if the boy was insane. "I'm sorry, did you say _vampires_? Did you hit your head too?"

Connor rolled his eyes, steering Lana back to the couch. "Maybe you should sit down" he suggested, plopping himself down on the far end of the sofa. "This is going to be a lot to swallow, but, Vampires- they do exist. That's how I found you tonight. I was kind of hunting them. Besides, how else do explain the facial distortion and turning to dust?"

Lana looked at him as if he were a crazy person in the asylum. "Look, you seem really nice and all, but I'm really having trouble believing all this." Connor raised his eyebrows, looking back at her. "It can't be that much of a stretch, I mean, you're not so normal yourself. I saw what you can do, it was amazing."

Lana looked at her hands, feeling both terrified and freed that someone knew her secret- and wasn't trying to have her dissected. "So, what, this is just a normal night for you?" she asked skeptically. He laughed, "You have no idea."

"So if those were vampires, how did you handle them?" she asked curiously. His lip turned up in a half smile, warming his face. "I'm special too, I guess. You see, my dad's kind of a vampire, so I inherited his abilities, only I'm human" he stated.

At that moment, Lorne appeared in the room, both hands holding steaming mugs. "We could all use a little hot chocolate, now, couldn't we?" he asked, friendly and full of cheer. Lana's eyes widened at his appearance, too shocked too freak out. He whistled a show tune as he handed her a mug. She accepted it with a muffled "thanks'', turning to Connor for some sort of explanation.

"Oh, he won't do anything. He's, well, he's a demon- but a good one. He helps us out a lot." Connor smiled in reassurance as Lana regained her composure. She seemed to be put at ease at Lorne's obvious warmth, sensing that he was good.

"That's right sugar, you just drink up. A knock in the head like that, you could probably use a nap too. We have plenty of room here. Stay as long as you like." Lorne invited, taking a seat in the open armchair. Lana smiled her thanks as Connor rose, gesturing towards the stairs. "Come on, I'll show you to a room. The beds are all much more comfortable than that couch" he promised, light-hearted.

She followed him to a cozy, empty room, her body going on auto-pilot as her mind drifted away from her, so sore and exhausted. "If you need anything, I'm right down the hall" Connor reassured her, leaving the room.

She laid herself on the soft bed, drifting into a welcome sleep, her mind pulling her into dreams of Vampires, green men, and super strong teenage boys.


	4. Hide and Seek

Chapter Four:

Hide and Seek

Lana tossed and turned, her mind racing and her body tensed. She was being pulled further and further down into a nightmare she couldn't escape. They were all around her, closing in. She screamed, the sound of her own fear jolting her from her troubled sleep.

The room was at first unfamiliar to her, but recognization dawned as she recalled the night's events. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand, discovering that she had only been asleep for little more than two hours. She rolled off the side of the bed, her skull throbbing in agony.

The cool night air made her shiver, and she hugged herself to keep warm. All was silent as she walked slowly down the deserted halls. She figured either no one was home or no one else was awake. "No time like the present to figure out where the hell Helsing jr. carried me off to" she whispered to herself as she descended the stairs, pondering her location. Was she even still in L.A?

She froze as her name was whispered from behind her, making her hair stand up on end. She whirled on the spot, her eyes scanning the shadows that surrounded her. No one appeared. She was completely aware of every beat of her frantic heart, her pulse throbbing in her ears as she strained to hear the voice again. The door across the room slammed shut, sending a gust of wind through the front lobby.

Quickening her pace, she half-jogged back up the stairs, too aware that she was trapped in a maze, completely unaware of the place's layout. Something large and dark was standing at the top, appearing out of nowhere. She gasped, nearly falling backward as she rushed back down. The figure was following her, slow and calm. Her foot caught on the edge of a rug, sending her sprawling on the floor. She quickly recovered, pushing herself back up, only to realize that the shadow, whatever it was, was no longer there.

Her breathing studied and her heartbeat slowed as she regained herself. She backed towards the wall, her back leaning against it as she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She was too on edge. With everything that had happened in the past few hours, everything she had been told, her mind felt as if it were literally unraveling. She knew that nothing was more dangerous than being in danger with her power, because the more unstable her mental and emotional state, the weaker her ability became… and a weak ability was of no use to her when she was being tormented by some unknown someone in the dead of night.

Cold, smooth lips pressed against hers as she opened her eyes. Someone was right in front of her, pressing her further against the wall. A man, dressed in all black with smooth, long dark hair. His features remained hidden in shadow, but his strength became evident as his hands gripped her arms with excessive force.

She shook off the fear and tried to clear her mind, and for a split second, she was able to. It was all she needed. In that half a second, he was flung ten feet away from her, giving her the chance to bolt back to the hallway she had been in before.

She jerked open the first door she came to, only to witness Connor flinging a towel over his lower half with lightning speed. Dripping wet, he had obviously just stepped out of the shower. He self-consciously glanced down, making sure that he was covered. His eyes locked on her scared rabbit appearance, aware that something had scared the daylights out of her.

"What happened?" he asked in the most soothing tone he could manage. She opened her mouth to explain, but no sound came out. "Yeah?" he pressed, one eyebrow cocked.

"Something's downstairs. It was following me, and it called my name, and then it appeared out of nowhere, and just when I thought it left, it kissed me, and then it just vanished, and none of this makes sense at all." The words came out in a trembling rush, matching her confused and near-paranoid thoughts.

"Huh. Did you breathe at all in between all those words?" he asked, tone light.

"What?" she asked, amazed at how relaxed he was. He disappeared for two seconds, returning fully clothed, a sharpened piece of wood in his left hand. She stared at it, a look of utter confusion on her face. "Vampires. Sharp wood make dust, remember?"

"Oh. Right. Vampires. I really wasn't dreaming that, then." She followed him down the stairs, half expecting that thing to jump out at her any second. She noticed how his entire body seemed tense, ready to spring. "I don't see anything" he stated, coming to a halt. "Besides, what were you doing wondering around a dark hotel in the middle of the night, anyway?" he asked, sounding both suspicious and genuinely curious.

"You first. Late night showers a normal thing for you?" She all of a sudden dropped her shoulders, rolling her eyes. The lights flickered on, brightening the entire room, revealing no vampires crouched in the corner. Connor turned to her, realizing that she had down it. "You didn't think of that while the mystery man was trying to suck off your face?"

"Well, excuse me, I was a little panicked." She spun on her heal and stalked back towards her room. He kept pace with her, taking notice of the way her lip pouted out when she was angry.

"Okay, sorry. Completely understandable." She whirled around, glancing up at his face, which looked as if he were trying very hard to arrange into a puppy dog look. She took a calming breath, "No, it's fine. There's nothing to be sorry about. I'm just a little, well a lot, creeped out right now."

He nodded his head, still caught up on her bottom lip, wishing he actually _were_

caught on her bottom lip. She turned back to the door, stepping into her room. He followed her, intent on making sure that she would be the only occupant. She cocked her head, raising her eyebrows in question. "Oh, I just wanna make sure no one else is here. I'm going to just sit out side of your door to make sure no one tries to get in."

"Sounds like a good night's sleep" she said, sarcastically. He smirked, "I've had worst nights." He proceeded to walk out of the room and she stopped him with a small hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you for everything, Connor." He gazed into her dark eyes, mystified by her sincerity. It wasn't a human trait he had come across often.

"Anytime. Goodnight." He shut the door gently, and the only sounds were him pulling up a chair outside of the room. Lana could not recall ever feeling so in danger, or so safe.


End file.
